Bias is changed

Yesterday, a journalist from the Colorado Daily in Boulder, CO called and wanted to ask a few questions about our ministry on campus. The local Hillel Center director, Devorah (a friend), mentioned to this reporter that she call me. She had some basic questions like what are you trying to do on campus and how many students are involved. I love these opportunities to share with an outsider who is willing to listen to what God is calling us to be and become on campus.

After a short 20 minutes sharing my dream to be a group that creates Transformational Spiritual groups that build bridges to the campus, every ethnic and affinity group. I contrasted that vision and dream with our old way of doing things; asking students to come to something we have built (our refuge) and promising them that they will experience life change. We still believe what we have to offer is life changing but we now want to get to them, relate to them and listen to them. At that point we can start dialoging about faith and God issues. I was explaining to her that this is different than having our starting point in our relationships with the campus be our differences and our group trying to convince others that are wrong and we are right. Now we want to bring the love of Christ to them in a language, culture and setting that they are comfortable with.

She asked more questions and then on a personal note asked me about a group that visited her high school a few years ago. The journalist, who is Jewish, said she was offended because this group told her she was lacking purpose and meaning in life because she didn't have Jesus as her Saviour. This may or may not have been communicated but what is important is what she heard. In the groups noble and valuable efforts to love high school students they alienated a gal who is open to talk about spiritual issues. I apologized to her for the experience. I agreed we, Christians, have made some grave errors in trying to share about God's love.

She was blown away that I would apologize and was astonished with what we, Fuel, were trying to do on campus. She told me she had learned a ton through our phone call. She was grateful for our honesty and openness. She then vulnerably told me that before she called me that she had a negative bias against our group because of her past experiences with Christians. She said this talk really opened her eyes and changed that.

I just wish I could talk with each and every student in an open and honest way. Not that we'll convince all of them to accept Jesus but at least we can share with them that we love them, understand them and are willing to listen to them. If we take a moment to do those things we will be shocked by how much we have in common with the not-yet Christians on our campuses and communities. Then and only then can we start talking about some of the deeper issues of faith and God.

I'm not sure what she is thinking now, but I am looking forward to reading her article and seeing what impact the love of God made on her.